Opinion: No Labels Party is the answer to our political problems

The chaotic division between Democrats and Republicans needs a middle man

I look around and see a nation divided. On one side, the Democrats. On the other side, the Republicans. To make matters worse, PresidentTrump deepens the separation between political parties through his outrageous tweets and childish nature. A tweet that especially irked me was his confrontation with LaVar Ball, outspoken father of breakout NBA star Lonzo Ball, over social media calling him a “poor man’s version of Don King” and an “Ungrateful fool!”

It wasn’t the White House, it wasn’t the State Department, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people on the ground in China that got his son out of a long term prison sentence – IT WAS ME. Too bad! LaVar is just a poor man’s version of Don King, but without the hair. Just think..

…LaVar, you could have spent the next 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your son in China, but no NBA contract to support you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT a little thing. It’s a really big deal, especially in China. Ungrateful fool!

He should not be tweeting like this as America’s figurehead, especially to someone as miniscule as LaVar Ball. Tweets like this make me wonder about his legitimacy as president.

Maybe there is a way out of this political mess. John Avlon, the co-founder of the No Labels Party, stood in front of a large audience, including President Max Nikias and Disney CEO Bob Iger, at a USC Visions and Voices event Jan. 18 to deliver an inspiring speech about his unconventional political views. Avlon, who is also the editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and a CNN political analyst, considers himself a radical centrist. His speech prompted me to see the full potential of the party. Even with the downsides that come with a small party, I believe that No Labels could be the solution to both the financial and political problems faced today.

In 2020, No Labels hopes to campaign for both the Democratic and Republican parties. It realizes America has a two-party system and understands that it won’t stand a chance if it runs as a third entity. Their hope is not to have their own candidate, but have Republicans and Democrats run for their unified, unlabeled party. No Labels’ plan is to promote their National Strategic Agenda, an outline for how the government should run, to every presidential candidate in hopes that all of them accept it. The National Strategic Agenda consists ofcreating 25 million jobs, securing Social Security and Medicare for the next 75 years, becoming energy independent in 10 years, and balancing the budget in about 15 years.

The two ideas that captured my attention were their stances on national debt and clean energy. With national debt growing at an alarming rate and global warming changing natural habitats, these are two huge topics that needs to be addressed. The United States currently owes $20.6 trillion, $7 trillion of which has been accumulated in the last 10 years. Both the Republican and Democratic parties say they will reduce the government budget, but neither one produces results. To control the debt, No Labels proposes that Congress should be prohibited from passing budgets that would increase the national debt, except in cases of war, disaster, or recession. Senator Mark Kirk supports this movement and the push for the federal government budget to be separated into two sections: a capital budget for long-term investments, such as research and infrastructure, and an operating budget for annual expenses. Without a doubt, these laws will allow the government to gain a stronger grasp on the national debt and eventually reduce it.

Essentially we need to reduce the risk of exhausting resources as well as reduce global warming that is currently destroying the environment

When it comes to clean energy, sustainability is vital for our future. Fossil fuels are accumulating at an alarming rate, and air pollution is causing a rise in cardiovascular diseases. To cut carbon dioxide emissions, No Labels proposes the Department of Defense and the United States Postal Service slowly transition to vehicles that run on natural gas electricity. Senator Chris Coones, a large supporter of energy efficiency, believes that to make federal buildings more efficient, they should partner with companies that would pay out energy savings achieved by their work. Additionally, No Labels wants torefine the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to raise the average miles per gallon for all vehicles to 54.5 mpg. By increasing fuel efficiency, the United States would not only help the environment, it would also decrease our reliance on foreign oil. Essentially we need to reduce the risk of exhausting resources as well as reduce global warming that is currently destroying the environment.

No Labels’ members like Senator Coones and Senator Kirk also advocate for pressing issues that aren’t addressed in the National Strategic Agenda. They strongly favor granting permanent legal status to undocumented immigrants and initiating a tracking policy that uses technology to monitor expired visas. The developing political party also pushes for universal education in science, technology, engineering and mathematicsfields with a more targeted approach toward students in grades K-12 who want to pursue STEM careers in the future. In the scope of Medicare, No Labels advocates that it should be allowed to negotiate with drug companies as well as promote more funding for chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Many uncertainties surround the No Labels party. It is way too early in the party’s development to tell whether they will succeed. However, sometimes citizens need to trust an idea they believe in and go for it. The upsides are evident: Clear objectives and passionate support will pave the way to success.With the crazy political times we are in right now, structure is necessary. No Labels has the ability to settle the political unrest and set America in the right direction.